In the evening, Lin Deng left the military school and returned to the large courtyard. The lights of the Gu’s house were off, indicating that nobody was home. Lin Deng then decided to visit the Lan’s household, thinking that if there was no one in the Gu’s house, then perhaps Gu En had gone to the Lan’s. However, only Lan Li was at home, there was no sight of Gu En.
"Looking for Gu En?" Lan Li was sitting in the living room. As soon as Lin Deng walked in and started glancing around, Lan Li knew that Lin Deng was looking for someone. "I haven’t seen her for a long time. Isn’t she at home?" Specifically, ever since he hit Gu En, she has never seen him again.
Lan Li was thinking that he would have to return to the unit in a couple of days and he had planned to find a time during the weekend to find Gu En at her home. However, he didn’t expect Lin Deng to come to his house looking for her first.
So she isn’t here?" Lin Deng chuckled and then sat down opposite Lan Li. "That’s odd. She’s not at school, not at her own house, and not at my house either, so where could she be?"
Lin Deng shook his head, "She came to find me at the military academy a couple of times recently, but each time she saw me with He Zhilan, she turned and left."
After thinking for a bit, Lan Li blurted out a name, "Ding Long."
"Huh?" Lin Deng was puzzled, "Isn’t Ding Long engaged to Ding Jinshi? And yet he’s able to fool around outside all the time despite being engaged?"
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Lin Deng felt regret. Why did he have to bring up Ding Jinshi again in front of Lan Li! Just as he expected, Lan Li’s expression changed slightly.
Since Lin Deng stopped talking, Lan Li noticed his strong emotional reaction and decided to change the subject. "What do you want with Gu En? Have you tried calling her? If not, just go to The Night Beauty to find her, she’s most likely there."
"I did, but she wouldn’t answer." Lin Deng said, "I have no idea what made her upset again, she hasn’t been talking to me for a long time." After a pause, Lin Deng continued, "I need to talk with her about something. Brother Lan Li, have you noticed that Gu En has changed recently? It seems like she has become more irritable."
"When was she ever not irritable?" Lan Li retorted and asked, "What happened?"
"Did you know that Gu En had a conflict with He Zhilan?" Lin Deng thought for a moment and then decided to spill the beans. Lan Li was about to return to the unit in a couple of days, and he himself was always busy at the military academy. Someone needed to watch over Gu En, and moreover, Gu En was constantly bullying He Zhilan, which might cause a serious issue. It was obvious that He Teng as her brother would want to protect his little sister, He Zhilan. If He Teng really sought help from the troops, the situation would turn ugly.
"You call it a conflict? The two have broken apart." Lan Li gave Lin Deng a scornful look, "What are you trying to say?"
"Well, if I spill it out, you should not lash out at me!" Lin Deng shrank his neck, "He Zhilan came to the military academy with her brother today, her roommate told me that Gu En has been bullying her lately. First, she posted defamatory notes about He Zhilan all around the school, then she pushed He Zhilan causing a scrape on her palm. Your comrade in arms was very angry when he heard this. He said if this continues, he will get the army involved because He Zhilan, being He Teng’s sister, is considered a family member of the military. If He Teng decides to report this to the unit, they probably would intervene. And you said so yourself, didn’t you? The leaders in your unit value He Teng highly and they will certainly handle He Teng’s affairs."
"She’s causing trouble again?" Lan Li rubbed his forehead. He was genuinely bothered each time he heard about Gu En. Up until now, Lan Li hadn’t had the chance to speak to Gu En about the message He Teng asked him to pass on to her. It hadn’t been that long since he last saw her, why couldn’t she ever stay out of trouble?